


The Dusk of Mercia

by RachelZX



Category: Auld England Series - Jimち ASMR | JimChi ASMR
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29960346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachelZX/pseuds/RachelZX
Summary: Can you gain both love and interest in the Dark Ages? How long and the Mercia Kingdom remain between Gwent and Franks? This is what Princess Ethelburgh is thinking about.





	1. 0(Background study)

**Author's Note:**

> Machine translated from my original work in Chinese.  
> Apologise for grammar and logic mistakes. The translating engine can translate highness as sir...Silly  
> Changed some settings compared to the original video.

Set up interpretation (the following research is not comprehensive and may be wrong.  
Please correct any mistakes ~) (in no order, write where you think) :  
1\. Anglo-Saxon women enjoyed a number of legal rights that predated their time, including owning and selling land in a woman's name, defending themselves in court, owning livestock and terminating marriages, while retaining half of the household goods and custody of their children.  
Aristocratic women also had a say in public affairs. Husband had to present the "morning gift" to his wife, who had the right to use it freely.  
The only female lords known in history, however, were the daughter of Alfred the Great and her niece, who inherited her lands and was overthrown within six months (or perhaps not well documented for the rest).  
However, "England will have to wait at least 600 years before a woman can inherit a territory".  
The later Norman Conquest, though it brought with it more familiar institutions, also brought with it a regression in the status of women.  
For the sake of the plot, the heroine is set as a female Lord.

2\. The chivalry originated from Charlemagne. Although it was contemporary, the chivalry system in Britain was not perfect at this time.  
There are few records (though theoretically possible) of the transition from plebeian to aristocratic.  
The freemen of Anglo-Saxon times could become aristocrats by accumulating wealth, though it was difficult (requiring "all their own five Hydes, church and kitchen, bell tower and gatehouse, seats in the king's hall and special offices").  
This article for convenience, self - supplemental Settings.

3\. Primogeniture also comes from the Norman Conquer. In Anglo-Saxon times, there was more equality between children, and in addition to inheritance, there was an element of military democracy.  
For the sake of convenience, this paper will supplement its own setting, mainly using the primogeniture system.

4\. There is no historical reference to Ethelburgh's archetype on Wikipedia. I only found a reference to her as a nun on another site.  
In fact, because of historical uncertainty, King Offa is thought to have had many more children.  
Among them is an unidentified daughter named Alfreda.  
The daughter is not listed on the Wikipedia Offa King page, but there is a suggestion that the daughter is Ethelburgh.  
This article for the sake of the plot, modify the heroine identity setting.

5\. After the death of King Offa, there was a religious dispute in Merciado.  
Anglo-Saxon, around the bishop to master a large number of land and wealth, religious buildings than local aristocratic luxury, the stone to the church, even noble, live in general are thatched house wood (if you've been in fort first generation, probably will remember the smallest inside the fort, the low wooden houses, is called the Saxon mansion).  
For the sake of convenience, this paper ignores the religious disputes and adds more fictional plots (the plots before and after each have historical facts and fictions, and the proportion of the latter will be larger).  
In addition, the appropriate "upgrade" noble living houses, otherwise really into the village armory fight...

6\. Peerage titles in the early Anglo-Saxon era were chaotic and varied, with many titles appearing at the same time (I guess the familiar hierarchy of duchesses, princes, barons, and barons is probably a post Norman Conquest).  
Representative among them is the "elder", a kind of military chief executive.  
Viking invasions brought with them new vocabulary, and since then there have been titles like count, which have gradually replaced elders.  
At the end of the era, it was basically a system of one county and one earl.  
For the convenience of this article, the following title of king is set uniformly, no matter big or small, as "Lord", receiving fixed land, and bishop coexist.

7\. The Anglo-Saxons had no family name in the modern sense and often used a nickname, or "one's son/daughter", or work as an alternative name.  
In addition, their original name can often be formed by combining parts of their parents' names, so there is a lot of variation, and the demand for a second name is not high.  
It was also the Norman Conquest, which gave us the familiar names of William and Mary, as well as surnames in our modern sense.  
In the Domesday Book, you can see the emergence of surnames.  
This article is set as the aristocracy has a surname, the common people do not.

8\. Gwent of Wales often merges with another country called Greenwich and is called Molgannug (that's what wikis say, I don't know how "often" merges...)  
For the sake of convenience, this paper ignores Greenwich, and establishes the small country southeast of Wales as the Kingdom of Gwent, allied with the north of Powys.  
All that was said about the battles between Wales and Wales was not fought according to historical facts.


	2. Chapter 2

Ecgfrith walked out of the door of the Hall of Offa, took off his short cloak, and gave it to a squire. It was late spring and it was hot to wear it.  
The weather in Mercia is pleasant all over the country, but he is not in much of a mood to enjoy it.  
As king of the British Isles, Offa was very godly about marriage and family, unlike Charlemagne, who had many concubines.  
The upshot of such piety, however, is that Offa is in his sixties and has only four young children, including only one son, who could be considered an alternative to the throne.  
Of his three other daughters, Eadburh was married to the King of Wessex, and Elfflad was soon to be married to the King of Northumbria.  
The two most threatening powers are being wooed. Ethelburh, the younger daughter, has not married - he is waiting for a suitable marriage partner.  
Ecgfrith, for her sister's marriage, was hastening to supervise the minting of silver coins to be taken to Northumbria.  
The country's currency was used, which was also a sign of great power.  
Offa, on the other hand, was very strict with the Mercia coin, which was his second currency reform.  
He wanted the money to be beautiful and accurate, and to bear not only his own head, but the head of the queen.  
To be honest, Ecgfrith is not an expert in foundry, and every time he comes to the foundry site, he just asks and monitors the progress.  
He was much more adept at religion and war, like a typical Anglo prince.  
We had a light rain last night and the ground is still a little wet.  
Ecgfrith walked down the path to the foundry.  
Civilians outside the wooden fence greeted him.  
Their houses were small and narrow, with simple hewn boards for walls, thatched roofs, and dirty people.  
Ecgfrith only paid tribute to the first few, but ignored the rest.  
The hills were bright green, the cool smell of the British Isles.  
Fortunately, the sun was breaking through the blue clouds of crab shells to warm the earth.  
In the distance, a girl with long chestnut hair came running up with a few flowers, a silver cross dangling at the ends of her breast, and small yellow and white flowers in her hands.  
"Ethelburh!"  
"Cried Ecgfrith, a little angry.  
Ethelburh stopped in front of her brother. "What's wrong, so loud?"  
Ecgfrith know that Ethelburh though is the youngest sister, but the mind than several brother elder sister childish, and independence is strong, it has both the advantages of some men so, he also no smaller sister usually play outside without doing home textile living things - like sister once married, also don't know how to to her fuck heart, let her play out now.  
The thing he was angry about was that Ethelburh had forgotten the turban again.  
"How many times do I have to say, Ethelburh...  
Your turban is a sign of your modesty, and you're really not afraid of people calling you a..."  
Ecgfrith stopped. It wasn't a good word.  
Ethelburh smiled, reached over and pulled back the fallen scarf, tidied it up and replied, "Got it.  
Here, here you are."  
She straightened her scarf and offered Ecgfrith the flowers she had picked, nodding to a nearby commoner.  
"If you don't like it, it's better to put on some hair than nothing."  
Ecgfrith, not noticing that her white shawl was actually part of a long scarf, was a little embarrassed. "Bishop Litchfield and Father have criticized you several times."  
"Where are you going?  
Ethelburh rebuttoned the brooch that secured her headscarf, followed her brother, and abruptly changed the subject.  
Ecgfrith sighs: "The foundry...  
Did you hear what I said?"  
"I heard -- it's the Elfflad's marriage again, isn't it?"  
Ethelburh smiled.  
"It's not just that.  
My father will use coinage to strengthen his rule over the whole Mercia and the vassal states."  
Ecgfrith Merit looked resignedly at Ethelburh's repeated salutes to the commoners, thought again, and added, "And the contribution to Rome.  
And some fine silver coins."  
He twirled the stems in his hands, worried.  
"Well..."  
Ethelburh is also under consideration.  
Ecgfrith chuckles at the thought of "worrying about my in-laws" and laments the brevity of the good times.  
Ethelburh was the most beautiful of the three sisters, and even King Offa often referred to her in public as "my starry daughter."  
Ecgfrith had once been lucky enough to see silk, bought directly from Charlemagne's court and sent to Tamworth on the way from London, and he always thought that the rich cloth looked familiar, which, upon reflection, was clearly Ethelburh's beautiful hair.  
When he saw the little sister quiff on their robes and moving on the face of clever brown eyes sincerely looking at others, Ecgfrith all her do not always he and Offa teach things aside, for example, he wanted to after the headscarf, accused Ethelburh robes dirty too far - go out once, hem will be stained with dirt, but Ethelburh robe is dirty to the knee, where he is very suspicious sister kneeling on picking flowers - but see Ethelburh happy appearance, think about or forget it, it is good to her happy,  
Why bother with all this?  
"Ethelburh Ethelburh......"  
Ecgfrith sighed.  
Ethelburh didn't know what her brother was trying to say. She looked at him blankly.  
Ecgfrith pointed to her turban: "You'd better wear your turban properly in future, and you'd better wear your veil again, or you'll attract a thousand admiring nobles...  
That is no small sin."  
Ethelburh didn't say anything, but let out an innermost grunt.  
She is a Catholic, which is now the absolute mainstream in several kingdoms.  
She thought she was devout and would not mind becoming a nun if the time came. However, she really did not know how to understand some words in the scriptures. She went to ask the bishop, who would only ask her to listen and never explain.  
The same goes for the hijab, which the sutra says a woman must wear, otherwise she will make the mistake of seducing a man - wonder why it can't be the other way around?  
She secretly stomach Fei, brother and sister two people have come to the casting site.  
In a spacious field, a dozen strong men were chopping wood, burning charcoal, blowing wind, pouring molten silver water into sheets, and then taking them into the house to be hammered into silver coins.  
There was a thud of metal in the dark cabins, and the field outside, though open, was steaming hot, and the strong men's jackets were drenched with sweat.  
Ecgfrith shook his head and asked about the progress of the coin.  
"What about gold coins?  
Ethelburh snapped.  
Ecgfrith paused and turned to Ethelburh. "I didn't hear you?"  
"Mint gold coins.  
For Rome, beautiful and majestic.  
Leave silver for Mercia and the vassals."  
Ethelburh affirms.  
Ecgfrith looked at her sister in disbelief -- Ethelburh had always had a relationship with the clergy, who were often infuriated by unorthodox questions.  
"Where do we get the money to make gold coins?  
Tax?"  
Ecgfrith stepped aside and grabbed a handful of the minted silver coins.  
"I didn't say taxes!"  
Ethelburh's voice rose three points. "Don't put all your ideas on the common people, Ecgfrith."  
She pulled at her headscarf, revealing her long hair on both sides, and said, "We can take part of the trade revenue."  
"What about the construction of churches all over Mercia?  
"So Ecgfrith, we have to increase our trade revenue...  
Do you know what the most profitable thing we've ever sold in London is?"  
'A woollen shawl?  
"Rightness!  
We should encourage everyone to herd sheep.  
Mercia has a lot of beautiful grass, and if you add some lovely sheep, it won't dry up."  
Ethelburh paused. "Too bad the trade deal with Frank was broken - it's my father's fault..."  
"That's a pity...  
I heard that the Frankish side is very rich, and the nobles live in the same luxurious stone palaces as the priests. Trade is flourishing, and culture is flourishing...  
If only Elfflad would get married, but it didn't."  
'It's Father's fault!  
Charlemagne's daughter was forced to marry too.  
How can people give up!  
They got so angry that they cut off trade, and we had to do business with some other little place..."  
Ethelburh chagrined at the problem of trade blockade.  
"They say that Prince Charles is still single. Perhaps King Charlemagne is waiting for his father to give you in marriage!" “Ecgfrith！！”"Cried Ethelburh, lifting his hem and charging at Ecgfrith, to the horror of the hearth boy Shouting" Take care, Your Highness!"  
Ethelburh chased Ecgfrith around the coals several times, holding him and laughing at him for some time before stopping.  
Seeing that the coinage was proceeding as planned, the two men did not stop long and returned to the Hall of Offa.  
King Offa, with his imposing physique and greying beard, was frightening, but when he saw Ethelburh, he smiled kindly: "Ethel!  
Ethel!  
My sweet little girl!  
Did you have fun?"  
"Happy, Father."  
Ethelburh laughs. "I went to see the coinage with Ecgfrith."  
"Well, how did the coinage go, Ecgfrith?  
Offa patted Ethelburh on the shoulder.  
"All is well, father."  
Ecgfrith thought. "Ethelburh came up with a new idea."  
He explained Ethelburh's idea to Offa, who listened gravely and nodded.  
After listening to Ecgfrith's account, Offa pondered for a moment, then asked Ethelburh with a smile: "So what if bishops complain to you about delays in church construction?"  
"Let them wait!  
Besides, don't they own land themselves?  
It's better than being a civilian."  
Ethelburh immediately replied.  
The fire was burning in the middle of the hall. Smoke was leaking from a hole in the roof and the walls were blackened with torches. The light inside the room was not very good.  
Through the dim light, Ethelburh was pleased to see Offa's face.  
He smiled, looked back into the room and shouted, "Cynethryth!"  
Out of the room came a woman, her head tightly bound and calm, the queen of Mercia.  
'What is it, Your Majesty?  
Cynethryth sat down next to Offa.  
"It seems that your suggestion is very appropriate...  
It's a little unconventional, but it's the best thing we can do right now.  
Our daughter lacks exercise, but she's got plenty of gumption and courage..."  
Ethelburh was getting confused. She interrupted Offa. "Wait, Father, what are you talking about?"  
Offa rough fingers against the table, "you know, my girl, we and northumbria and wessex reached a marriage, so now, our center is in the west of GwentPowys alliance, as well as the east Kent and east Anglia - all the rest of the small local concern - and a few days ago, southwest of hereford news that their old Lord when hunting kidnapped by a highwayman, although was a knight save in exile, but the body is getting worse, and finally died.  
He has no descendants to bestow, and all our elders need to be sent to the front, and Ecgfrith wants to stay here and help me, so your mother has suggested that you be put in charge of Hereford. '  
Ethelburh didn't know whether to be pleased or surprised -- she wanted to take charge and give the people the best treatment she could think of. But, although in Mercia, the spouse of the monarch was in charge of the finances of the territory, which was quite important (like her mother), she had never heard of giving a woman a fief directly.  
And sure enough, Ecgfrith jumped up before she could say anything. "Father!  
How can that be?  
Ethelburh is a girl, no one has ever done this before!  
What do the elders and the priests think?  
And Hereford is close to Gwent and Powys, so what would she do if she had to fight? '  
"No one has ever been King of all Britain before, but your father did it."  
Offa waved his hand. "As for the war, the defences of Hereford West are new. The Allied forces have not penetrated there for many years.  
Ecgfrith has nothing to say.  
He wasn't jealous of the Hereford fief; as a brother, he was genuinely worried about Ethelburh.  
This independent sister would have been the best thing to be a Lord if she had been a man, but she was a young girl and preoccupied with the welfare of the dirty, lowly commoners, which made him worry about Ethelburh's future.  
Then he remembered the conversation about Charlemagne, and at once he said, "Father, have you considered Ethelburh's marriage?"  
Offa frowned. "Who on the British Isles now is worthy of my star?"  
'Have you ever thought of Charles of Frank?  
Ecgfrith reminded.  
Ethelburh said, "Hey," a little angry at her brother's assertions.  
"Well, that's it."  
"I've fallen out with Charlemagne over our marriage to Frank," Offa said.  
I have been writing to him all the time, and hoping to put our relationship on a better footing until we are reconciliated."  
As proud as Offa, he had to admit that the Frankish Kingdom, which stretched across the continent from the sea in the west to the grassland in the east, was the real hegemon. In Charlemagne's eyes, hegemony on the island of Britain was nothing at all.  
Ecgfrith looked helplessly at Ethelburh, who was rolling her eyes at him, and nodded. "Well, Father, if it is your will..."  
He bowed and left the Offa Hall.  
Cynethryth beckoned Ethelburh to her side, then took both her hands. "My little girl!  
Now you can have a place of your own!  
Their own house, their own land, their knights, their servants...  
Honestly, I wish you could marry Frank, but you can't just now..."  
She shook her head and looked regretful.  
"It's all right, mother.  
I think I'll be fine."  
Ethelburh laughed. "Hereford, I haven't been to Hereford yet.  
Father, is it beautiful there?"  
"Beauty.  
As beautiful as all the lands of Mercia, as beautiful as you!"  
Offa tapped the tip of Ethelburh's nose.  
"I'm looking forward to it!"  
Ethelburh thought of the land of Hereford and smiled in his heart.  
Soon the gate of Tamworth's wooden wall was thrown open and the two groups came out in turn.  
Elfflad took Ethelburh's hand wistfully and, like any sister who takes care of her sister, gave her last words of advice. "Ethelburh, a father's power has earned you a title, and you must cherish it.  
If you are in any difficulty, do write to me. I can't help your husband, but I'll do my best to help you.  
As for Eadburh...  
I think she's more likely to help you, but, as you know, she's gone too far as queen in Wessex. She's almost got the king's power...  
You'd better not ask her for help unless you have to, or it will do you both a disservice.  
Sweet sister, I will always be your family..."  
In the middle of the sentence, Elfflad choked up and hugged Ethelburh.  
Ethelburh's eyes are red, too.  
Hereford is not far from Tamworth, and Northumbria is in the north, so Elfflad's return is unknown.  
She was in no hurry to leave, but watched as Elfflad's motorcade left Tamworth before getting into the car and driving to Hereford.


	3. Chapter 3

Hereford was no different from the rest of Mercia's territory -- its green rolling fields, its cold-soaked forests, and its poor but pious citizens.  
Ethelburh sat on the narrow bus, looking out at the meadows on either side and the villages beyond, delighted.  
To be honest, the British were far less skilled at making things than the Franks, and the same was true of making cars. Even the aristocrats rode in carriages which were built up like a bed with a ring of fences and wheels, so Ethelburh got a bit of wind along the way, but she was happy.  
As the distant settlement approached, Ethelburh jumped out of the car and walked in front of the squire.  
Inside the wooden fence is a smaller settlement than Tamworth, but still thriving.  
Ethelburh's silver cross proclaimed her aristocracy, and Offa had already sent fast horses to warn them of Ethelburh's arrival. The plebeians bowed their heads to her, and Ethelburh kept returning them until they came to another wooden fence.  
Inside the enclosure was a wide flat field of rammed earth, with buildings of various sizes, the grandest of which, two stories high, must have been Hereford's residence.  
Nearby, in a clearing in front of a row of wooden houses, a dozen soldiers in old mail and leather helmets were fighting, swords and shields clattering with a muffled sound.  
Ethelburh did not disturb them, but went straight into the hall.  
Inside the house, fires and torches had been lit, and a group of maids were doing the final cleaning.  
One of them saw Ethelburh and came forward. "Your Highness."  
'Where is my house?  
"Upstairs, your Highness."  
The maid pointed to the staircase in the corner.  
"Please go and tell them to carry all my things up."  
Ethelburh commands the maids.  
The maid answered and went out.  
In a few moments Ethelburh's attendants were up the stairs, carrying trunks and chests.  
Ethelburh, sitting in the middle of the hall, smiled and looked around. "The Lord of Hereford!"  
What a nice title.  
Ethelburh told her maid to take her men to rest -- they were going back to Tamworth.  
Upstairs was a spacious bedroom, furnished with a lamp stand, a basin stand, a dressing table, a table and chair, and of course a cosy-looking bed.  
Ethelburh took a scarf from one of the maids, and pulled out the shortest one, replacing the long one on her head.  
When she was done, she went to the mirror and looked at herself.  
Only the top of Ethelburh's head was covered by a turban. The rest of Ethelburh's hair was naturally flowing down her back.  
She contentedly left the rest of the work to the maids, and went downstairs and out of the hall door on the ground floor.  
Standing in the doorway, she looked. The training of the dozen soldiers was not yet over.  
She walked slowly towards the group of soldiers and stood at a distance watching them.  
One of them, a tall, stalky redbeard, caught sight of her first, and still his eyes rested on her delicate cross. He stopped the movement in his hands and, having fended off the attack with his round shield, took off his helmet and bent over to greet Ethelburh.  
The rest of the crowd noticed Ethelburh and greeted her.  
"Now, stop bending over."  
Ethelburh laughed. "Who are you?  
The soldiers of Hereford? '  
"We are, but your guard, Highness."  
Red Beard answered in a loud voice.  
"You won't fight in Gwent and Powys?"  
Ethelburh wondered.  
Red Beard felt his head. "Well, your Highness, in the first place, Hereford has not fought with the Welsh since the Offa Dyke was built. The fighting was mainly at Lichfield in the north, where the Dyke is not as strong as ours.  
Secondly, if there is a war, of course we will go into it, but the first priority is to protect your Highness."  
"What if the Lord is a valiant man?  
Need protection too?"  
Ethelburh smiled.  
Meanwhile she surveyed the group.  
None of them were short, but there were few of them as stout as Red Beard, some stout, others tall;  
Some face honest and honest, some show a little cunning, some with the excitement after training, some very calm, even a little lonely;  
Some people cut short hair, but it seems that the barber's craft is not so good, uneven, interesting to look at, and some keep and shoulder hair, black hair neatly wrapped down, but can cover up some sharp breath.  
"Of course, Highness."  
Red Beard became the spokesman for the soldiers. "The Lord's life is too important to be missed.  
So make sure you take a few of us with you when you go out for safety."  
"I will.  
Thank you."  
Ethelburh nodded. "By the way, wasn't the former Lord saved by an exiled knight?  
Who was he?  
It sounds mysterious."  
Red Beard did not answer, but a guard next to him answered: "He is not mysterious, your highness.  
He's right in front of you."  
Ethelburh's eyes immediately went to the guard with long black hair.  
"Oh, you were kept by the old Lord?  
That's good. You don't have to go into exile anymore.  
May I ask why you went into exile?"  
'I was a squire to one of the local lords of Cornwall, and then in the war my Lord died, and I had no support.'  
"Replied the black-haired guard.  
Ethelburh said, "Oh," and said, "Offa Dyke." Turning to Red Beard, "Is the Offa Dyke far from here?"  
"Not far, Highness. Less than a day's journey, perhaps."  
Red Beard answered.  
"Well, to-morrow morning, select some of you, and you'll come with me."  
Ethelburh said, "Look at how Mercia's frontier defense is doing." A group of people answered in unison, "Yes, Your Highness."  
Ethelburh sat down on a stake in the side and waved. "Everybody else go back to rest.  
Well, since there are so many questions, I'll ask you a few more. Please answer them."  
Red Beard said "Yes," and came forward. The rest of the guards went back.  
Ethelburh laughed and asked, "What's your name?  
I think you're the most talkative person in your camp?  
Please make yourself at home."  
Red Beard grinned and scratched his head. "My name is Pike, your Highness. There are a few of us who are lively, and I'm not the only one, but I was born brash, and so I rushed to answer you.  
"Are you the most fighting of them all?"  
Pike thought for a while, hesitating to shake his head: "If the strength, my strength is indeed the biggest;  
But when it comes to fencing, Hamer's fencing is the best among us."  
"Hamer?"  
'The new man, your Highness.  
The old Lord had just brought him back, and we didn't think anything special of him yet, except that he was a good man, and very courteous to the Lord.  
We found later that none of us could match him as a swordsman."  
"That strong?"  
"Yes, Highness.  
He always used the fastest speed and the most varied moves against us, and my strength was useless.  
We even wondered if he had been advised by one of Frank's knights."  
Pike shook his head.  
"It is also possible that Cornwall has a great deal of foreign trade."  
Ethelburh confirms his guess. "Well, it makes sense for him to be a private bodyguard.  
Such men are all right on their own, or against small groups of men; but when they are surrounded, they will be constrained from all sides."  
'Yes, Highness.  
Absolute power is very important on the battlefield, or if you have it under control, no matter how good your skill is."  
Pike's answer.  
Ethelburh tapped her knee and didn't follow up on Hamer's question: "Where is the local church?"  
"Not far, Highness, a short walk away.  
Are you going to visit the Bishop of Hereford?  
I'll go and call someone..."  
"No, no."  
Ethelburh stopped Pike with a laugh. "I'm just asking.  
I'm very tired today. I need a good rest.  
But, Pike, send for some men, and I will send something down, and you will send it to the Bishop, and then tell him that it will be deducted against this year's commoners' tax, whatever it is worth."  
"This......"  
Pike is at a loss. He doesn't quite understand what Ethelburh is trying to do. Is it to reduce the pressure on civilians?  
"What is the meaning of this, Your Highness?" he asked.  
"Hard times are ahead."  
Ethelburh laughed, and the laughter flowed into the house of the guards, and a sea blue gaze was fixed on Ethelburh.

Early the next morning, Ethelburh got up at the crack of dawn, washed up, put on her robe and boots, a silver cross and a turban, and walked to the first floor.  
The fire and torches were almost gone, and the room was dark. She came out, frowning.  
The distant commoners set out early to work, and the servants in the courtyard began their day's work.  
In front of the house, Hamer is dressed in a robe and trousers, a mail shirt, and a sword at his belt;  
He had a short cloak round his shoulders.  
He was now pacing in front of the house with his hands behind his back and his head bowed. His long hair was tied at the back of his head, and his sides were dangling in front of his ears.  
"Are your brothers up yet?"  
Ethelburh had a joke on him.  
Hamer, startled, straightened up and nodded. "Good morning, Your Highness.  
Some haven't.  
Hereford is relatively peaceful and people don't burn themselves out too much.  
But Pike, who answered your question yesterday, is already up, and today you will be accompanied to the Offa Dyke by the two of us."  
'Where is he?  
Ethelburh looked over Hamer's shoulder.  
Hamer smiled down, then stopped his smile and answered, "Nature's call, Your Highness."  
"Oh!"  
Ethelburh scratches his face, a little embarrassed.  
She was still sitting on the stake. "I heard from Pike that your fencing is the best among these men?"  
"If he's going to say so, I can't help it, your Highness."  
Hamer smiled.  
"Have you seen Frank's knight?"  
"May I know, Highness, why you ask?"  
"From whom did you learn such fine swordsmanship?  
Ethelburh puts it another way.  
"I was a mercenary before I joined that Lord of Cornwall, my Lord, against the Norse from the north.  
You see, they started their raids on the British Isles a few years ago.  
Then I was absorbed into the Lord's guard."  
"Oh, no wonder..."  
Ethelburh suddenly.  
Compared to militias and even the armies of lords, mercenaries are the most professional and professional armies in the whole of Europe. It is no wonder that the Hamer has excellent swordsmanship.  
Hamer was erect and looked at Ethelburh resignedly.  
Ethelburh was curious. "Tell me about the Norwegians," she said. "I've never seen these northern barbarians."  
"With all due respect, you don't want to come face to face with these people, Your Highness.  
They are fierce and brave, but they have no manners or feelings."  
Hamer frowned and shook his head.  
"Well...  
What about you?  
Do you like the Lord of Cornwall?  
What kind of man is he?"  
When Pike doesn't return, Ethelburh chats with Hamer.  
"Enthusiastic about war, but don't have much talent for it.  
The rest is nothing special.  
So when I came to Hereford and had the honour of working for King Offa, for your family, I was really, really, delighted."  
Hamer's expression was sincere enough to make Ethelburh feel guilty for asking the wrong question: "What, don't look at me like that. I'm not testing you!"  
She stood up and added, "I never like to test people like that."  
Hamer bowed his head and said "yes."  
This is where Pike comes in.  
He let out a long, grunted sigh. He looked so relieved that when he saw Ethelburh he was a little flustered. "Your Highness!  
I've been rude! '  
'It's all right, Pike.  
Bring the horse and let's go. '

A few rocky hills rose and fell on the horizon. A few trees stretched out on the broad land. The sky was pale duck egg blue, and there were farmers grazing their cattle and sheep.  
"It's a beautiful view.  
Tell me, Pike, Hamer, do you like peace?"  
Ethelburh popped a question.  
"Who doesn't like peace, Highness?  
Pike was the first to answer, "But I don't know what I'm going to do after peace. I don't know how to do farm work."  
Pike scratched his head in embarrassment.  
Hamer looked at him, smiled too, and replied, "Of course, Your Highness.  
I want peace, and peace for the whole of Britain.  
But that kind of peace is hard to come by."  
"Yes..."  
Ethelburh looked at the view and sighed.  
The three men were silent for a while, and Ethelburh noticed in the distance what appeared to be a group of lovers chasing each other across the fields.  
She smiled, remembered an old ballad, and, stirred in her heart, began to sing --  
One pleasant Summer’s morning when all the flowers were springing ,  
Nature was adorning and the wee birds sweetly singing .  
I met my love near Banbridge town, my charming blue-eyed Sally ,  
She's the queen of the County Down - the flower of Magherally .

The couple in the distance seemed to hear Ethelburh's song. The girl hid shyly in her headscarf, and the boy greeted Ethelburh with his hands waving. Ethelburh also raised his hand and waved it at him.  
Ethelburh, caught up in their mood, smiled brightly on horseback.  
Pike and Hamer look at each other, and Hamer says, "That's a beautiful song, Your Highness.  
It is a pity that my mind is not sharp enough to produce such art."  
'It's an old song sung all over Mercia and Wessex now, isn't it in Cornwall?  
Ethelburh asked over her shoulder, making Hamer bow his head.  
He replied: 'I think there is, Highness.  
But my parents died early and I don't have much leisure time to sing."  
"I'm so sorry."  
Ethelburh's cheerfulness faded a little.  
Hamer smiled and shook his head.  
The three of them walked for nearly a morning until they came to a wall about two feet high -- the expensive Offa Dike.  
The lower part of the levee was rammed earth, the upper part was a wooden wall, and as far as the eye could see was a gate, near which stood a watchtower and a camp, guarded by a band of men.  
'Most of the professional soldiers in Hereford are stationed on the Offa Embarment, Your Highness.'  
Pike reports.  
Ethelburh was reassured by the sight of an endless dike, which would not be breached by any war.  
She pointed south. "Where does the levee go south?"  
"The sea, your Highness.  
The Hereford section of the levee is very intact, but the Litchfield section is not."  
"So Gwent and Powys stopped attacking from the south..."  
Ethelburh said to herself.  
Hamer added: "Not only that, Your Highness.  
When Queen Rianna of Gwent married King Cedar of Powys, Rianna moved to the court of Powys, and Gwent soldiers were often sent north to Powys to fight."  
Ethelburh was amused. "Moving away?  
What about her own lands?"  
"For the heir, perhaps, your Highness."  
Hamer replies with a smile.  
Ethelburh tilts his head - yes.  
She and two of her guards mounted the watchtower and looked west.  
The view over there is as pleasant as the east.  
Ethelburh wondered when the war between the two sides would end.  
When will there be mutual acceptance and real peace...  
Ethelburh sighed as the west wind from Gwent blew and went down the tower.


	4. Chapter 4

Back from the Offa Embankment, the sky had darkened a little.  
Ethelburh is sore from the day's ride, while Pike and Hamer seem to be all right -- of course.  
When the three men entered the courtyard, they found a car parked in the yard, and several little monks standing beside it.  
Ethelburh thought for a moment and realized that it was probably the Bishop of Hereford who had arrived.  
She motioned for two guards to follow her into the hall, and sure enough, there sat a beaming bishop.  
"Highness Ethelburh, it's great to see you!  
God bless you for your diligence in inspecting our borders on your first day here."  
The Bishop of Hereford stood up, his hands outstretched, praising Ethelburh.  
Hamer involuntarily tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword -- he had little faith in the seemingly friendly bishop, who was also the big landowner of the land, and it was not a good idea to be courting him.  
"Good to see you, Bishop.  
Did you get my things?"  
Ethelburh smiled and took the front seat.  
Pike stood where he was, blocking the door like a mountain, while Hamer sauntered dainty to Ethelburh's seat.  
The Bishop of Hereford touched the golden cross and smiled. 'Yes,' he answered.  
Thank you for your openness, Your Highness.  
I think we can live in peace."  
"That is a good thing, Monseigneur.It's also good for civilians."Ethelburh nodded.  
The Bishop, on the other hand, looked puzzled. "What do you mean, your highness?"  
"Literally, Bishop."  
Ethelburh is kind of funny.  
He had asked Pike to tell him what he meant. Did the bishop go in one ear and out the other?  
Then Ethelburh realized that the bishop thought she was just making a gesture and that the items were actually for him.  
She looked at the Bishop's thick neck and fingers and sighed. "Literally, Bishop.  
I want you to offset the people's taxes with my possessions this quarter, which is the quickest thing I can do right now.  
And then I'm going to cut taxes on the people.  
Hereford is a relatively peaceful area, and we don't have to tax the common people heavily... '  
"That won't do!Our church at Hereford is building a new chapel, with all the stone and glass. Can you afford it, your Highness? '  
Sure enough, the Bishop of Hereford's face grew worse and worse, and at last he almost jumped up.  
"Every man's bed is a chapel, if he truly believes it, Your Grace."  
The Bishop of Hereford snorted coldly. "The brothers Bishop of Lichfield have told me about you, Highness, and they say you have a very rebellious mind, and so it seems.  
The church is the home of brothers and sisters. Does your Highness want the children of God to be homeless?"  
"If a lot of money is spent on churches, many of our citizens will be 'homeless on earth' before they are 'homeless in heaven'.  
I'm sure that's not what God wants."  
Ethelburh's eyes were particularly sharp. He looked at the Bishop of Hereford.  
And the Bishop advanced a few steps, and retorted: "That is not for you to decide, your highness.  
King Offa wants to offer Rome his own. I hear your Highness also suggested that King Offa should mint gold coins to give to Rome. Why do you have a problem with our little churches?"  
He must have understood that Rome was the center of the Catholic Church, and that if he did not get on well with the Pope, let alone King Offa, even Charlemagne could not get any benefit. She did not want to do it, but it was necessary.  
And the greedy little bishops of the region, Ethelburh would love to get all their land back from them. Perhaps God would like to see them live as ascetics.  
When Ethelburh did not speak, the Bishop drew closer. "And, your Highness, you should have taken care of yourself.  
When I met King Offa's three princesses, including you, they were all very courteous and well-dressed, and today you are not only not well dressed, but also very aggressive.  
This is not what a good woman should do, my Lord."  
The Bishop of Hereford has launched a personal attack on Ethelburh.  
Ethelburh's face darkened. "Bishop," he said, "I hope you will cooperate with me on the tax issue. In short, starting this quarter, I will reduce my support for the church.  
We need to pacify the civilian population. We need to develop production.  
As for the rest, Bishop, the Holy Spirit should live in your heart and mine, and not just in a fancy church.Hamer, see him off."  
"Yes, your Highness.  
Please, your excellency."  
Hamer reaches for the door with his right hand and Pike steps out of the way.The Bishop of Hereford frowned, glanced at Hamer's left hand on the hilt of the sword, did not speak, but glared at Ethelburh and left.  
Through the gate, Hamer watched the Bishop's carriage leave the courtyard. He looked back anxiously. "Your Highness," he asked, "I don't know anything about state affairs, so I don't understand.  
That's how you quarrel with the Bishop."  
"I don't know."  
Ethelburh laughed a little miserably. "But it's a bottomless pit to keep supporting him in his church.  
A chapel on the left and a confessional on the right -- that's not what the scripture says.  
God is our support and the people are our strength."  
Hamer seemed moved by Ethelburh's words. He paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded.  
Pike is fork waist, indignant: "this priest, can be really not a thing, I see also not what pious guy!"  
"There is no killing in the Ten Commandments.  
The greatest piety is peace."  
Ethelburh, a little tired, smiled at the two guards, rubbed her forehead, and went upstairs, leaving a profoundly correct but extremely difficult sentence.  
May Day is here.  
The Iclingas family, who believed in God, did not pay much attention to this ancient Celtic festival, but the custom of celebrating Beltane still exists among the populace.  
Ethelburh's tax breaks made her beloved by the people of Hereford, and she had little contact with the Bishop of Hereford.  
It was getting dark, and the children were still trying to pick up the last branches, hoping that their own fire was the most active.  
The adults took out the good food and enjoyed the night.  
In Ethelburh's yard, the guards were being ordered by her to erect Maypole, and Pike, of course, led the way, with ropes over his shoulders and his face red.  
As the pillar rose, Ethelburh clapped her hands and cried "Good!"  
", tilt head to look outside, just didn't see Hamer back.  
"Where have you been?  
Ethelburh asked with a smile.  
During this period of time, Pike and Hamer have become two of her closest guards, and Hamer is a bit more smart and calm than Pike, so Ethelburh is particularly valued.  
'A boy lost his way, Highness, and I took him home -- what a magnificent post!'  
Hamer looked up at Style and smiled.  
Ethelburh folded his arms and nodded with satisfaction.  
Pike panted and patted himself. "Hamer!" he cried.We'll have to punish you for going out and dodging!"  
The other guards laughed and agreed.Ethelburh thought this was a good idea. She thought about it, smiled and pointed to a vacant lot. "Then make you light a campfire!  
The brightest one."  
"Yes, your Highness."  
Hamer nodded and immediately began to go back and forth between the clearing and the woodpile.  
The guard inside some laughed and he joked, some back to the room to rest.  
Pike looked at Hamer with a proud look and said, "Hey, hey."  
"Oh, I miss Mother's meat pie!"Ethelburh sat on the wooden mound, his hands propped up, leaning back.  
Pike asked: "The Queen must have some secret recipe?"  
"It's not a secret, just Frank's recipe.  
Mother has a special longing for Frank.  
She's still sorry that Elfflad didn't marry Charlemagne's son."  
Ethelburh shook her head as she watched Hamer meticulously light the fire. "I had to tell her to take it easy."  
In a moment, there was a fire, but it wasn't very exuberant, and Hamer couldn't save it by smashing his face in black ashes. It was hilarious.  
Ethelburh 'burst' and finally called the servant to help him.  
Hamer asks Ethelburh's permission, scurries to the well, washes his face, and stands next to Pike.  
Outside, the flames of the populace rose, and sparks flew into the night.  
In the distance, a group of civilians carried a simple chair, and a large crowd crowded into the inner courtyard from far to near.  
Ethelburh was laughing with Hamer, and was just talking about the difference between Welsh customs and the East, when she saw the commoners entering the courtyard.  
They bowed their heads humbly in the glow of the bonfire, and one little girl held the wreath and held it high: "Our Highness Ethelburh, this is for you."  
A middle-aged woman with a gentle and humble face added: "You are the Queen of May in our hearts."  
The girl stood on tiptoe and carried the wreath under Ethelburh's eyes. Ethelburh smiled and took the wreath and put it on his head. Then he looked down at the chairs carried by the common people.  
But I'm not going to sit in that chair. Would you like to?"  
May queen with a wreath to be carried by the public to celebrate is a tradition, the little girl opened her eyes: "but you are the queen of May!"  
'I don't want to sit, I want to dance!Ethelburh straightened up and spun around twice.The little girl looked at the chair with an expectant look.Ethelburh saw this and gave Hamer a color. Hamer smiled and nodded as he lifted the girl into a chair.  
Ethelburh straightened her wreath, clapped her hands, and cried joyfully, "Let's dance!  
To celebrate May Day!"  
She began to sing another ballad:

Dance to your shadow when it's good to be living lad  
I'll lead you to the river where the light shines so blue  
Dance to your shadow when it's hard to be living lad  
Watch the morning coming on the land you love

The villagers danced to the song, to the accompaniments of the ancient language, whose meanings have long been unknown.  
I do not know who also made a small drum, with the sound of drums, singing, everyone around the fire to dance happily.  
The little girl tossed herself back and forth on the chair as if it were fun, clutching the arms and laughing.  
In the dark Hereford House was full of joy and peace.  
Pike stood beside the drum, smiling humbly and pounding the beat hard;  
Hamer put one leg on the wooden block and leaned his elbow on it, smiling at the dancing crowd, the fire dancing in his blue eyes.  
Pike turned his head, caught sight of the calm Hamer, and with a twist of his arm, almost knocked Hamer off a reel: "Hey, don't you want to play?"  
"Didn't you just watch?"  
"And I play the beat!  
That's good!  
I this voice, still don't go up to lose a person, everybody sings of many beautiful ah!"  
"Like a fool..."  
Hamer smirks at Pike.  
Pike said "Gee", patted Hamer and laughed back: "Weird!"  
Hamer shook his head and continued to look into the middle of the crowd.  
The night was growing dark and the wind had just picked up.


	5. Chapter 5

It was early autumn in Tamworth and the leaves were beginning to fall.  
King Offa is in a very happy mood with his recent winning streak.  
Today another messenger brought Ethelburh's letter, and it was in a cheerful tone, which pleased King Offa and made him miss his little daughter.  
The praise of Ethelburh by the common people of Hereford reached King Offa, who was somewhat disturbed by the displeasure of the Bishop of Hereford.  
Fortunately, he is on good terms with the Pope, so there was little reaction from the church.  
King Offa approached the Hall of Offa, where Cynethryth had just finished checking taxes with some tax collectors.  
When King Offa arrived, Cynethryth was delighted and brought out two fine pieces of cloth. "You see, Sire, here are some cloth from London today, from the home of King Frank."  
"Well, it is."  
King Offa also admired the achievements of the Frankish kingdom, but was a little tired of Cynethryth's constant mention of Frankish mania.  
"Just the right thing to make you a new dress."  
Cynethryth was playing with two sheets of cloth, but King Offa was not interested, so she stopped talking and asked something else. "How are things in Wales, Your Majesty?"  
"Well, according to our guys, Cedar and Rianna seem to be having some trouble, for what.  
But their alliance is still there, that's for sure.  
If we can divide them, so much the better."  
Offa sat down on a furry chair. "We'd better focus on the east, where there are fortifications," he said.  
"That's good."  
Cynethryth put away the cloth. "Eh, Ethelburh..."  
"She said to herself.  
Offa said nothing. They were no different from other parents when it came to thinking about their daughter.  
After a while Cynethryth spoke. 'Your Majesty, is it still too... for Ethelburh to go to Hereford?'  
King Offa sighed. "How many times have you asked that question?  
I miss her, of course, but she has done well in everything except to offend the Bishop.  
All the presbyterswhom I had previously opposed approve of her now; only the Bishop of Hereford and the Bishop of Lichfield will come and preach to me about her impiety, which I will not be ashamed of. '  
"I'd rather she were married to a better place than to be in such a state of fear."  
Cynethryth shook his head.  
"Frank, isn't it?  
Take it easy, Ecgfrith and I want her to wait."  
King Offa looked impatient when Frank was mentioned, and Cynethryth acquiesced.

In the evening, Ethelburh returns from her errant yawning, and the maid offers her a glass of water. She gulps it down, throws herself into a chair and squints at the door.  
Pike chased him through the door, his face red. "Your Highness!  
Where have you been?"  
"Go to the next pasture and watch the civilians cut their autumn hair.  
It's our most important resource."  
Ethelburh yawned again.  
"But why not call our guards?"  
Pike was worried.  
"Don't worry, it's just a side pasture..."  
Ethelburh smiled.  
Pike's mouth tightened and he stopped talking.  
Ethelburh waved her hand. "I know you're worried about my safety. Thank you."  
"It's nothing, Highness."  
Although Pike was very anxious, and even a little angry Ethelburh, but still clear voice answered.  
Ethelburh looked around and asked, "Hey, where's Hamer?"  
"Didn't your Highness call him to the Offa Embankment yesterday?"  
"Just taking a message to the commanding officer, and he hasn't come back yet?"  
'Come back and rest in the house.'  
"Oh."  
Ethelburh did not follow up.  
Pike snickered -- over the months, he'd noticed Hamer getting more and more involved in following Ethelburh, and Ethelburh, who had no special feelings for him, didn't let him go.  
Pike wrote in his mind countless stories that a bard might have sung, but he just didn't dare say them.  
Pike chuckled at the thought.  
Ethelburh apparently didn't notice what Pike had in mind and asked him to leave and then went upstairs.  
She took off her scarf and put on her nightgown. She sat on the bed, listening to the voices of the people who had not yet rested outside the window. She was thinking about the treatment of autumn hair.  
Even if it is transshipped rather than sent directly to Frankenland, you can make a good profit.  
She lay down slowly and drifted off to sleep.

Ethelburh dreamed that the women of the common people were speeding up their spinning, when she was awakened by an anxious voice - "Your Highness!  
His royal highness!"  
She opened her hazy eyes and saw Hamer, fully armed, standing by the bed.  
Ethelburh's heart sank as Hamer spoke eagerly. "Your Highness, forgive me for barging in like this.  
But this is a very urgent situation, please leave with me immediately!"  
'What's the matter?  
Ethelburh's eyes widened as she hurried out of bed, pulled on her shoes, grabbed her robe and pulled it over her.  
Hamer took the opportunity to explain: "We've been attacked by the combined forces of Gwent and Powys, and they've broken into the Offa Dyke!  
Now Pike and the others are not far from here, holding off the advance militiamen. It is up to me alone to protect you back to Tamworth! '  
In the distance there was a faint sound of killing and a welsh swearing. Ethelburh came to herself. Hamer handed her a broken helmet he was holding.  
"What's all this about?  
Ethelburh buckled on his helmet, cursing to himself.  
She did not want a conflict with the Welsh, so she resented the arrival of the Union.  
"I fear treachery, your Highness.  
Anyway, please leave with me now!  
We have to run, but I will keep you safe."  
"Hamer says solemnly.  
Ethelburh nodded gravely and they dashed downstairs.  
Two horses were tied downstairs, and they rode eastward under the cover of night.  
As the cries of death receded behind her, Ethelburh wondered what would happen to her guards. Would they survive?  
.  
Ethelburh woke up again, and when she opened her eyes she saw the canopy of trees and a piece of sky over which hung the full silver moon -- look at the moonlight, it was late at night.  
She tilted her head as Hamer threw sticks into the fire, which was still not very strong.  
She touched a nearby rock and sat up.  
Hamer noticed that Ethelburh was awake and bowed his head to her. "Your Highness," he said.  
"Where are we?  
Ethelburh was in a bad mood. She rubbed her eyes and her voice was low.  
"After such a long gallop, we should soon be at Litchfield, and then Tamworth."  
Hamer's voice was soft, gently making Ethelburh want to go back to sleep.  
She took off her helmet a little irritably, threw it aside, hugged her knees, looked at the fire, and then looked up at Hamer.  
Hamer tugged at the fire, as if to make it a little stronger.  
He caught Ethelburh's eye and smiled at her.  
Ethelburh did not want to lose his temper with him, but was annoyed that the attack had disrupted everything.  
She listened. There didn't seem to be any soldier sounds, except for the sounds of fire and insects, and she relaxed a little.  
"We're some distance from the coalition, Your Highness.  
I'm sure they won't catch up tonight.  
So, please have a good rest.  
Or you can sit for a while."  
Hamer eventually gave up trying to save the fire and poked at the ashes with a branch, somewhat bored.  
Sleeping on the ground and making pillows out of wood was not comfortable at all, and Ethelburh preferred to sit for a while.  
She looked up at the moon and sighed.  
Hamer looked up after her eyes and smiled. "Look at the full moon, how beautiful it is, Your Highness."  
"Yes."  
Ethelburh affirms.  
She looked at Hamer and suddenly said, "Tell me your story, Hamer."  
"Me?"  
Hamer was caught off guard, but he thought about it and gathered his thoughts. "Your Highness knows all about Cornwall, about saving the old Lord, about staying in Hereford...  
Nothing more had happened between your stay at Hereford and your arrival.  
It's just that I didn't expect a woman Lord to come here.  
During this short time, I also met some people.  
Priests, priests, aristocrats, rich men, scholars, lunatics...  
Each of them seems to have something special, or just seems to have something.  
I also heard about the valor of Prince Ecgfrith, and King Offa's affection for him.  
So I thought it would be the prince, or someone else.  
I never thought it would be your Highness."  
Ethelburh seems to have opened Hamer's mouth, and he has a pleasant voice, so she doesn't mind listening to it more.  
Hamer plucked the ashes and continued, "But since you came to Hereford, you have not made me feel at all unworthy.  
Indeed, Your Highness.  
On the contrary, when I look at you and talk to you, I feel something different from the people of higher rank that I have seen before, that is, sincerity and peace, and kindness.  
But you are decisive, so sometimes I even wonder what it would be like if you went to war, your highness, and we became friends, sharing mead and barbecue, and camped together.  
But for the moment, I am only your faithful servant, who will not question your decisions, and who will give you your orders. If you want me to clear the way against the Welsh army, I will charge, even if it is with your will, in the midst of the enemy..."  
Ethelburh is caught up in the bug chirping, which accompanies Hamer's voice.  
She looked at a thoughtful Hamer and rubbed the cross on her chest.  
After a moment's silence, Hamer suddenly came to himself and bowed his head humbly to Ethelburh. "I'm sorry, Highness, I went too far."  
"That's all right, Hamer."  
Ethelburh grins and waves his hand. "You can go on."  
Hamer gave Ethelburh a grateful look, then immediately looked back at the fire, thought about it, and smiled down. "What a shame, Your Highness...  
In fact, I think I'm rather talkative and not very polite, and that sometimes gets me into trouble."  
"But Pike and I agree that you are the most polite of the guards."  
Ethelburh interjected.  
At the mention of Pike, her heart tugged, and she sank again at the thought of the guards holding the enemy. "...  
Do you think, Hamer, Pike and his family will survive?"  
Hamer frowned, too.  
His silence left Ethelburh without hope.  
Her eyes were a little fuzzy, so she lifted her sleeve and wiped it away.  
Hamer threw a handful of leaves into the fire and said, "Actually, my Lord, I'm not the first choice to protect you.  
The investigation report said guards vanguard troops toward the seat close to the situation very urgent, we have recommended Pike, some recommended me, jerking, but threw it rushed outside Pike, took his horse, shouted to me, 'let Hamer take your highness', then ran toward the west, without hesitation you just left.  
I'll miss him, Your Highness.  
Under such circumstances, taking you away is undoubtedly the best chance of survival.  
So, now I'm scared...  
I fear as a young bodyguard, in the face of such a heavy entrust, can take up the responsibility to protect you.  
Because I'm just a poor guard, a poor soldier, a obedient soldier -- a loser..."  
Ethelburh, while feeling sad for Pike, wondered why Hamer had said that, but feeling sleepy again, lay down on her side and curled up, asking no more questions and praying for everyone.  
Hamer dropped his voice even more quietly. "Yes, Your Highness, you should rest a little longer.  
I'm just an ordinary soldier, but I swear I'll spare no effort to keep you safe."  
"What about you?"  
Ethelburh's eyelids were twitching, but she didn't forget to ask Hamer.  
"Our guards have to stay awake in such emergency situations, even for days...  
Don't worry, your Highness..."  
Hamer's voice trailed off, and Ethelburh fell asleep again as the fire crackled.

The journey through the jungle was difficult, and Ethelburh and Hamer had to dismount and walk.  
There were plenty of streams, so drinking water was not a problem, but eating was more difficult.  
Hamer insisted on not eating wild fruit from the jungle on the grounds that "what birds can eat might be poisonous to humans," and instead handed over all his emergency dry food to Ethelburh.  
Ethelburh offered him half a dozen times, but Hamer refused.  
But he still seemed sprightly, which relieved Ethelburh.  
Another morning, at Ethelburh's insistence, Hamer was off duty last night, feeling a bit dreamy after a long night's sleep.  
Two horses were chewing leaves and making a rustle.  
Ethelburh watched Hamer sleeping, his black hair floating on his face, swaying with his breath, and thought -- let him rest a little longer.  
She fiddled with the old helmet.  
The iron frame of the helmet was a little rusty, and the leather inside was torn and stained with stains of different colors.  
She looked at Hamer's outfit. Hamer's shawl was old, too, but it looked perfectly functional, the mail was a little shabby, even a little shabby, and the scabbard had more holes in it.  
Ethelburh noticed that Hamer's scabbard had a small key embedded in it, and a small metal clasp held it in place, making it both firmly embedded in the sheath and easy to remove.  
Ethelburh moved closer to take a closer look at the scabbard, but as soon as he lifted it, Hamer was startled. He shuddered and pulled out his sword as if by instinct. Ethelburh fell back in shock.  
Hamer blinked hard. Seeing Ethelburh, he folded his sword and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Your Highness!"  
"It's okay..."  
Ethelburh is still shaken, but she can't really blame Hamer.  
'She pointed to the little key.' What's this? '  
Hamer looked down in the direction she was pointing and replied, "A tradition, Amulet, Your Highness."  
"It's amazing..."  
Ethelburh is genuinely curious about the customs of different regions.  
Hamer went to one side to wash his face in a hollow of water, and then returned to the extinguished fire. He was about to say something when he let out a loud rumble in his stomach. His words were cut short, he looked down at himself, and both of them burst out laughing.  
Ethelburh took out what was left to eat -- most of the bread -- and handed it to Hamer.  
"This is for you, Highness."  
Hamer shook his head and handed the bread back.  
"I think you'd better eat it. I don't want to faint you, so I'll have to run with you."  
Ethelburh jokingly pointed at Hamer's stomach.  
Hamer turned his head a little sheepishly, then put the loaf away and said, "Then I'll stay."  
He looked at two horses happily munching on leaves and sighed, "If we could eat grass as freely as they do, we wouldn't be hungry."  
Ethelburh gave a long yawn.  
Hamer looked away from his horse and asked, "Do you need a rest, Highness?"  
"...  
Just for a moment."  
Ethelburh lay beside the ashes.  
Her eyes were closed, but she couldn't sleep, so she asked Hamer, "What do you usually do, Hamer?  
Like, sword practice?  
Or talk to a partner?  
Sing...  
Oh, no, you won't."  
Ethelburh, her mind a little foggy, waved her hand and pressed the corner of her eye.  
Hamer's voice says, "Well, actually, as guards, we don't have much else to do every day, so whatever your Highness says is right.  
Or, in your leisure, to think of the wonderful days ahead..."  
"Daydreaming..."  
Ethelburh laughed. "Why not just say it?"  
"Yes, daydreaming."  
Hamer affirms her. "And, actually, last time, they and I learned that ballad you sang on the Offa Embankment."  
Ethelburh opened her eyes. "The flower of Marjorie?"  
Hamer nodded earnestly. "Yes, that's right.  
Pike complimented me on how well I could get from Cornwall to Mercia."  
Hamer smiled, lost in memory.  
Ethelburh tugged at his robe. "Hey, will you sing it for me?  
I want to see what a man sings when he claims he can't sing."  
Hamer looked at Ethelburh, nodded earnestly, looked away, thought for a while, and then began to sing slowly:

One pleasant Autumn’s morning when all the flowers were springing ,  
Nature was adorning and the wee birds sweetly singing .  
I met my godess near Banbridge town, my charming Brown-eyed Sally ,  
She's the queen of the County Down - the flower of Magherally .

Hamer's singing is surprisingly good, but Ethelburh has a problem with him: "You're a good singer!  
But how to change the word?"  
Hamer's lips pursed. "Because Your Highness asked me to sing this ballad, then of course this is for you."  
Ethelburh lapped up Hamer's flattery and closed her eyes with a satisfied smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Inside Powys court, King Sedal is humming a tune leisurely.  
He did not even think that the battle at Hereford would go so well.  
The interior he placed opened the door of the Offa dike, making the impeccable fortifications disappear in a moment.  
Hereford was his now -- with the princess of Mercia.  
The capture of the princess, who was also the Lord of Hereford, did not go very well. The guard at his side always took her out of the siege. In the end, he took an arrow and let the princess run away.  
As for the guard, the men below reported that they had escaped.  
Sedal curled his mouth at the thought.  
He waved the poet away and stood up only to see the queen, Queen Rianna of Gwent, burst in in a rage.  
"Sedal, where did you send the soldiers of Gwent?"  
'Hereford.  
You know that?"  
Sedal replied carelessly.  
He knows that Gwent is a small place and needs a partner, and Rianna can't really be his enemy.  
"Didn't you say you had other plans, and no soldiers needed to be sent?"  
Rianna knew this was the case and had to resist the urge to cut him down.  
"Isn't it good now?  
We lost very little, and tied up their princess.  
I've heard that Offa is very fond of her, so maybe we can make a deal with her."  
Sedal glanced at Rianna.  
"But you can't just use Gwent's soldiers without my permission!"  
Rianna's temples are going up and down.  
"We are all alike."  
Sedal's scoundrel looks anything but aristocratic.  
Rianna walked out the door. Halfway through the door, she stopped and turned to Sedal. "I know what you want, Sedal," she said.  
I advise you not to give such advice!"  
Then he rushed out of the door.  
After a while, the servant reports that Rianna has packed her bags and gone back to Gwent.  
Sedal threw up his hands, a little regretful but not angry.  
Rianna can't do much except say a few tough words.  
Gwent's territory is smaller than Powys's, so if she were to return there would be no big threat, and the alliance would not be cancelled.  
Sedal is confident enough to deal with Powys, either by keeping the peace with the alliance or by tearing up the alliance and declaring war on her.  
Only, the succession will have to be put off, but, it is not can not wait, he and Rianna are still young.  
Sedal shook his head, snorted, and muttered to himself, "Stupid..."  
"Your Majesty, what about Princess Mercia?"  
The page carried the message for the general.  
Sedal picked the shredded meat out of his teeth, spat it out on the floor, and said casually, "What kind of princess is she?  
A woman who knows nothing but commoners.  
Keep it closed. Be careful. Don't let her get away.  
Let's see what Offa can give me in exchange.  
Don't kill her, and don't make trouble by having fun with her.  
The rest is yours."  
Sedal sneered at the order, and the squire went away.  
Sedal wasn't sure whether Offa would have chosen to save her daughter, as aristocrats often choose between their estates and their loved ones, either for reasons of duty or for greed.  
In a word, relatives are the least valuable things in the aristocracy.  
But the hostage is better than none.  
Satisfied, Sedal kicked the brazier and sparks streamed all over the floor.  
The sun was fading again slowly through the little window.  
The small cell was dark again.  
Ethelburh despaired for the umpteenth time.  
The wooden cell, though made of wood, was solidly built and impermeable to air.  
A small window in the wall let in light, and the only door opened into the outer jailer's room.  
Iron clasps were nailed to the walls of the cell, but perhaps because of his position, Ethelburh heard several times that enemy commanders had taken new prisoners elsewhere.  
Ethelburh can't remember how long it took him to get out of that jungle.  
All she remembered was that Hamer, who had been shot, shouted to her to go, and that she, like the rest of the guards, had stayed and brought up the rear.  
And he was not so lucky, soon or fell into the hands of the enemy.  
How can life be good here?  
Both of Ethelburh's hands and feet were shackled, and both of his hands were shackled to the iron clasps on the wall, which were only lifted every day when the jailers came to deliver his food, and Ethelburh ate with the two shackles, and after the meal, he worked out his physical problems, and then they were locked up as usual.  
But the saddest thing was not hanging hands for a long time, not wanting food and clothing, nor being bored -- it was that the enemies of his father would vent their anger on themselves, which they could not vent on the battlefield.  
One night, not long after Ethelburh's imprisonment, a soldier broke into her cell, breathing sour wine and meat, leaned over her head, slapped her in the face with a dagger, and whispered in her ear in an almost twisted voice: "Princess, princess, princess of Mercia, daughter of the noble King Offa!  
Oh, how great your father was, conquering the east and the west, pacifying all sides...  
Princess, you are only his daughter.  
Do you know where I'm from?  
I may be in Powys army, but I am a Darfed man...  
I'm afraid you don't remember your father's great deeds.  
I'll tell you.  
Your great father invaded Wales fourteen and eight years ago and plundered Darfed, my home town.  
Did he think of our daughter then?  
My poor wife and daughter, as well as my father and mother, died at the hands of your Mercia forces.  
Poor princess, but are you really poor?  
..."  
As he spoke, he made a half-laugh in his throat, then suddenly seized Ethelburh's jaw and mouth, and with the knife cut a long gash on the left side of her face, running under the inner corner of her eye, across her cheekbone, and down to her ear.  
Ethelburh, unable to make a sound, endured it with her eyes wide with fear.  
The soldier held the dagger in front of her eyes, shook it, and said regretfully, "You should be lucky, the king has ordered you to live, or I will surely thrust this into your chest..."  
Then he left with a grim smile.  
A short time later, a similar incident left Ethelburh with a branding iron scar on the right side of his face bearing the word "prisoner."  
As for other beatings and curses, there are countless.  
They will take all the anger they have against Mercia out on Ethelburh.  
I don't know how long this will last. Ethelburh sometimes thinks he'd rather be hacked to death by them.  
Offa chose not to trade his territory for his own, but to continue the war against Wales. This was only natural, for there were no other countries in Britain to whom Mercia was courting through marriage, and his father, who had great ambitions, was not going to stop his expansion.  
It just so happened that the jailers, for some reason, were coming in less and less frequently to bring food and water, and the soldiers who were using her as a vilage tool had disappeared. Outside it was quieter, except for the occasional sound of a horse or horse, so that Ethelburh could be sure that the place she was in was not deserted.  
But tonight she was so thirsty and hungry that she could hardly feel her hands and her sight blurred.  
Moonlight shone through the little window, and the room was still very dark.  
Ethelburh called feebly to her jailers, and only one jailer responded impatiently, indicating that there was nothing to feed her.  
Ethelburh gave up -- or simply starved to death.  
Leaning against the wall behind her, she looked out at the night, which was growing dim.  
Perhaps after fainting from hunger several times, Ethelburh was woken by a fight.  
She opened her eyes and managed to raise her head. Her eyes were still blurry. The cell was empty and the sound was coming from outside.  
Falling sounds, accompanied by short shrieks, grew nearer and nearer.  
Ethelburh dropped his head again, his strength gone.  
At last the door of the cell was opened, and the man's tired breathing grew visibly more excited at the sight of Ethelburh, and there was a slight tremor in his voice.  
He rushed forward, with a circle of keys in his hand, and tried each of them on Ethelburh's handcuffs.  
Ethelburh looked up again, forcefully.  
There was a bit of moonlight in the room, but not enough for Ethelburh to see his face. Only the blurred outline showed Ethelburh's familiar long hair.  
She asked unconsciously, "...  
Hamer?"  
The movement in the other's hand paused, sniffed, did not speak, but continued to try.  
Finally, the handcuffs were released and Ethelburh's wrists, skinned and bleeding, were released.  
She fell to the side, and the other man lifted the shackles from his feet and succeeded.  
Ethelburh's hair was in the way of her eyes. She vaguely saw what the man was offering her. She couldn't see, but she heard the sound of water inside the bag -- water!  
She struggled to sit up, grabbed the water bag, and poured it down.  
There is only half a bag of water in the bag.  
Just as she was looking for more water on him, she saw him with his head down and half a loaf of bread in his hands. Ethelburh threw the water bag aside, grabbed the bread, ate it in a few bites, and coughed.  
She rested against the wall for a moment, and the moonlight moved a little to give a better view.  
Ethelburh finally recovered her spirits - and that was enough for her to recover, otherwise too much would have been a problem.  
Her brain worked, and she understood the man's intentions.  
She looked over. He just sat on his knees with his head down, his breath shaking.  
Again she asked, "Hamer?  
Is that Hamer?"  
She leaned forward, reached out and pushed his long hair away. He looked up at Ethelburh with guilty, tired eyes, blue pupils shining in the moonlight -- Hamer, of course, but who else?  
Hamer's hair was unkempt, a beard had grown on his face, and his clothes were a mess of blood and dust.  
Ethelburh didn't get that close look into Hamer's eyes, but she suddenly realized that she wasn't the star she'd been called.  
Frightened, she shrank back into a ball against the wall and pulled her hair between her cheeks.  
Hamer, who seems to have misunderstood Ethelburh's move, lowers his head and finally says, "Your Highness...  
Forgive me for my hideous face, which is ugly before your dazzling beauty...  
Two and a half years, thirty months...  
I have been searching for you, and for a time even gave up the hope of finding Your Highness.  
Now that I have found you, but to find your Highness treated so inhumanly because of me..."  
Ethelburh clung to her hair, still looking at Hamer with panicked eyes.  
She sat for a moment as if she hadn't heard. Then suddenly she said, "Hamer, keep your head up."  
Hamer hesitantly looked up, his rough, unkempt, pale face reappearing.  
Ethelburh exhaled. "You don't have to blame yourself, Hamer...  
You saved my life.  
I should be grateful to you.  
People here, they're all, um, retreating...  
?"  
"No, Highness...  
Some of them withdrew, because the allied forces at Powys and Gwent were still defeated."  
He gave a mocking chuckle. "Hereford is deservedly repossessed.  
And here, here's Powys...  
I thought they would take you to Gwent, but when I arrived in Gwent to look for you, I could not find you anywhere, and then, again, I learned through tavern rumours that the princess of Mercia was imprisoned in a stronghold on the border of Powys...  
Some of the people here have retreated, and the rest I have wiped out."  
Hamer says, his tone becoming increasingly bitter. He pauses, then adds, "I really didn't expect that they would treat you this way, this kind of cruelty...  
Rest assured, your Highness. I have left neither the lives nor the hands of those serpents who touched you without your permission...  
Whether they were of aristocratic blood or not, or just following orders."  
Relieved, Ethelburh looked at Hamer's mess and asked, "What about you?  
All the way..."  
Hamer heaved a deep sigh and added: "I must ask for forgiveness for clearing, in the name of His Highness, thousands of obstacles before my eyes without His Highness's permission.  
But it was all worth it to find your Highness."  
The moon moved nearer.  
Ethelburh looked at the humble Hamer with a pang in her heart.  
Hamer tilted his head. "I don't deserve your Highness's look...  
I'm not in a position to ask for your forgiveness.  
I made a promise to you and failed miserably...  
But now, I can only ask Your Highness once more to come with me back to Tamworth and let me escort Your Highness on the last leg of his journey..."  
"Don't apologize, Hamer. I'll get you back in the guard."  
Ethelburh smiled.  
She leaned against the wall, rested for a while, and then slowly rose to her feet.  
His legs were a little shaky, but he was barely able to walk.  
There was a mass of bodies outside, as Hamer put it, their hands stripped of their arms.  
Ethelburh struggled to pick up her pace and walked to a clearing, where she stood and gasped.  
Hamer found a horse and cart behind the stronghold and raked up some food.  
Ethelburh found a long turban in one of the rooms, covered up her head, and climbed into the car - and even the uncomfortable car seemed like heaven.

The sound of breaking branches woke Ethelburh and opened her eyes.  
By the look of the sky, it was late afternoon, and the car was parked in the woods, where Hamer was breaking off branches to catch fire.  
He was clearly better at making a fire than he had been two years or more ago.  
His hair was tied behind his head with a piece of cloth. From time to time, pieces of hair came out. He fiddled with it impatiently, and the cloth fell down and his long hair fell apart again.  
Ethelburh chuckled as he looked at the scurried Hamer.  
Hamer turned and forced a smile at Ethelburh. "Your Highness."  
Then she turned her head away and tied up her hair again.  
Ethelburh sat up, stretched, and suddenly realized that her headscarf had fallen off.  
Ethelburh immediately rumbled under her body and pulled back her turban, leaving only her eyes to look at the fire.  
Hamer noticed her panic and told her, "It's all right, Your Highness, you're still the brightest star..."  
Ethelburh's eyes danced with fire as she looked at Hamer, who looked back at her sincerely.  
"Are you serious...  
?"  
Ethelburh pulled her turban down to reveal her nose.  
"Of course it's true, my...  
You are still the flower of Marjorie, my Lord, the fairest."  
Hamer smiled and nodded.  
Ethelburh slowly moved out of the car and sat down next to the fire. Hamer sat down opposite her, which made Ethelburh feel lucky -- the flames separated them and Hamer couldn't see his own face.  
She took off her scarf and suddenly felt relieved.  
The flames danced, the smoke rose, and the sky grew dark.  
Hamer, sitting opposite, bent his head and thought about something. He took off the cloth as if he was in some kind of mood. His long hair fell down and covered both sides of his cheek.  
"You......  
How are you feeling?  
Hamer?  
Are you hurt?"  
Eager to start a conversation to break the ice, Ethelburh asked about a topic she already cared about.  
The shadow opposite moved and answered, 'Yes, your Highness.  
But don't worry, your Highness. I'm not one percent as hurt as you are...  
I kept running like hell until I found you.  
Once I was so badly hurt that I could not walk, and they left me there to die...  
I thought I couldn't find you.  
But I've always remembered my promise, and I can't break it...  
Well, I'm being hypocritical."  
Ethelburh was surprised at the nonsense of the last words. She did not answer, but continued to listen.  
"Do you remember two and a half years ago, Highness?  
In fact, there in the woods not far from where we are now, we stopped briefly and I sang for you...  
What a shame...  
But it was a good memory."  
Ethelburh laughed and listened.  
"......"  
Ethelburh remained silent.  
"...  
So, it's beautiful to remind me that I need to tell you the truth."  
Ethelburh flinched nervously. She straightened up, not knowing what to expect.  
"I told you the other day that one of us was a traitor..."  
Ethelburh suddenly stopped listening. She staggered to her feet and backed up to a tree. "Your Highness, the traitor, it was I...  
I not only betrayed you, I betrayed my country...  
Yes, Gwent.  
At that time, our plan was to inform the Union soldiers of the garrison and secrets of the Offa Dyke so that they could take Hereford...  
And...  
And sending you to the Allied forces was part of the plan..."  
Hamer's shadow did not move. Ethelburh was distressed to hear these words from the shadow.  
She held on to the tree trunk, remembering all that had happened -- so, Cornwall was a lie too.  
The rescue of the Lord was probably self-directed.  
Instead of ending, the man in front of him directly intensified the conflict between Mercia and Wales, which had lasted two and a half years and would continue...  
She sobbed bitterly, and the sobs made Hamer clench his fists. "Your Highness, if you please, I will atone for it at once. You can throw my body into a mountain or a river where I can be eaten..."  
"No, Hamer, no."  
Ethelburh shook his head vigorously.  
She was not so distressed because of a traitor in the guard -- in fact, although failed traitors are often spurned, but this is just a military strategy, every country will put an undercover agent, let him become a traitor at the critical moment -- her sad thing is, why Hamer?  
Ethelburh got a little excited at the thought: "Why didn't you just leave me in that cell and starve to death?  
Why do you even come to me...  
Do you want to get more value out of me?  
Then why did you admit this to me..."  
There was a pause on Hamer's side, then he replied, "I hope my voice will annoy you less, Highness...  
But since you asked the question, I must answer...  
Because I've been around you for so long, I've been influenced by your every move.  
Your manners, your kindness, your beauty...  
The sparkle in your soul.  
I could have gone back to Gwent or Powys that day, after the Allied forces had taken you away, but I lingered long enough to regret it.  
Alas, my Lord, I know that perhaps you have had enough of this ugly creature speaking to you in such disrespect in his ragged clothes and unkempt hair, and perhaps you too will make up for the pain in your heart by drawing your sword and killing me at once...  
I will bear the curse of my name from you and posterity without complaint."  
Hamer said as he removed the sword from the scabbard, set it down by the fire, and pushed it in Ethelburh's direction.  
"But whether you decide to let me die now, or whether you, Your Highness, will continue to bear the indignity of my escort until Tamworth, where I shall surely be justly executed, I tell you...  
Believe me, my Lord. You are my king. You are...  
My love."  
A few words jumped into Ethelburh's ears.  
She stared at Hamer, feeling as though nothing had changed in him.  
"That's why I regret it.  
Whatever your decision may be, Your Highness, I beseechyou to keep the little key in the scabbard, and even to warn you to fear, in the future, that men like me, who may exploit your trust, may do you infinite harm...  
Your Highness, my Highness, my only Highness..."  
Hamer's words were over, and his head sank lower, as if he were stabbing his neck.  
Ethelburh kept repeating the word "love" in her head.  
She walked over to the fire, picked up the sword, took the little amulet off the sheath, and knelt down to put it back on Hamer herself.  
Hamer's guilt-filled eyes didn't even dare to look at Ethelburh, but veered slightly in his direction before turning back.  
Ethelburh had a hundred things in mind, but didn't know where to start, so she just said:  
"Hamer, I don't want you dead."  
Hamer closed his eyes tightly, holding back tears of remorse -- he didn't think he could afford even the slightest bit of forgiveness from Ethelburh.  
Ethelburh got back in the car and lay down slowly, with her back to the fire.  
She untied the cross and fastened the little key to it. Then she closed her eyes and rested -- she needed time to take it all in.  
She knew Hamer would stay behind.


	7. Chapter 7

Ethelburh was in the car, which was escorted by a group of Mercia soldiers as they marched towards Tamworth.  
A group of Hereford soldiers sent out to look for Ethelburh saw Hamer sitting by a fire that night - Offa heard of Ethelburh's rescue and ordered soldiers from Hereford and Tamworth out to look for her - first Shouting "Traitors!"  
Hamer beats him up, then notices a shocked Ethelburh nearby.  
Now Hamer's mail and sword had been stripped off, and he was at the end of the line, tied by a rope.  
Ethelburh didn't dare look back at him, and didn't know why.  
With a dim outline of Tamworth in front of her, Ethelburh sat up straight, looked ahead, thought a little nervously for a moment, then turned back and called out, "Hamer!"  
Hamer doesn't seem to believe Ethelburh called him, but just looks at her until a soldier shoved him next to the car.  
"Hamer, listen."  
Ethelburh said softly, "You'll probably see my father in a little while.  
Given that he has found me in a teleprompter, he probably already knows about you...  
But don't talk, don't apologize, I'll speak for you, will you?"  
"But, Highness."  
Hamer's brow furrowed. "I hurt you, put you through this..."  
"So!  
Ethelburh folded her arms and braced herself. "You have to survive.  
I told you, I don't want you dead.  
Maybe I need you to find something to cure it."  
She pointed to the left and right sides of her face.  
She looked down for a moment, then looked up, facing Hamer, and added, "If you still think, this is your star..."  
"Of course, Highness.  
Always will be."

As the car entered Tamworth and approached Offa Hall, Ethelburh got out and took a few deep breaths of the familiar air.  
The first person to rush out of the house was Ecgfrith.  
Ethelburh felt much better, but when she saw her brother, she suddenly felt hurt and ran to hug Ecgfrith.  
"My dear sister, let me see you."  
Ecgfrith's eyes wandered for a moment. He glanced quickly at the scar on Ethelburh's face, took her hands and looked at them again. He shook his head.  
And he was speechless.  
"That's all right, Ecgfrith.  
I'm fine."  
Ethelburh holds Ecgfrith's face.  
Suddenly, Ethelburh instinctively sensed an ominous sound of hurried footsteps coming from inside the Offa Hall.  
Sure enough, Offa was striding angrily toward Hamer with a long sword, cursing incessantly.  
'Father!  
Ethelburh hurried forward.  
Offa saw Ethelburh smile, a rare look of compassion on his face. "Look what they've done to my star..."  
"Father, I have something to ask Hamer...  
After all, he saved me, didn't he?  
Don't kill him yet."  
Ethelburh stood in front of Offa.  
Offa's face bristled again at the mention of Hamer, but, perhaps guilty of his choice to continue the war, he finally nodded. "All right, my daughter.  
Soldier, take the traitor to his cell!"  
Ethelburh was relieved.  
She looked at Hamer, who was being dragged away by several soldiers.  
"How's the war going, Father?  
Ethelburh asked.  
Offa tweeted Ethelburh: "Ethel, dear daughter, you'd better go and rest.  
The war was going well, and the Queen of Gwent herself was coming to ask for peace.  
Go and rest."  
Ethelburh nodded and followed the maid to a spacious room on the other side.  
After a thorough grooming, Ethelburh was refreshed. Her wounds were all right, except for the two ugly scars on her face that would be hard to remove.  
Ethelburh felt the "prisoner" scar on his right and was sad.  
But she decided to sleep on it and everything would be all right.  
As for Hamer, she doesn't really have anything to ask him. She's just playing for time. She has to do something.

A few days later, Ethelburh got up a little late in the morning. She got dressed and went out of the house, only to see some strange looking cars parked in the yard. She asked the soldiers and learned that it was the Queen of Gwent.  
She came to plead for peace on behalf of the allied forces.  
Ethelburh was a little excited -- after all, Mercia had won again.  
She straightened her clothes and went into the Offa Hall.  
Offa wasn't there. Ecgfrith spoke to Queen Gwent on Mercia's behalf.  
"Your Highness."  
The guard saluted Ethelburh.  
Ethelburh nodded and walked into the hall.  
The hall was lit with plenty of torches. Ecgfrith saw Ethelburh, motioned for her to sit aside, and then addressed a graceful but worried lady opposite him: "This is not enough to make up for Mercia's loss in the war, Your Grace."  
As Ethelburh sat aside, Queen Gwent looked at Ethelburh, nodded to her, and was about to answer Ecgfrith's question when she fixed her eyes on Ethelburh, changed her face a little, then looked up at Ethelburh, then back at Ecgfrith, and said, "Your Highness, may I ask who this is?"  
"This is my little sister, Princess Ethelburh."  
"I'm Rianna Ellisec. It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness.  
May I ask where you got the key you are wearing?"  
Rianna asked Ethelburh.  
Ecgfrith was surprised at the obtrusive question.  
Although he was not pleased that Ethelburh had hung a strange key beside the cross, he did not ask again, considering how much Ethelburh had suffered.  
"It was an amulet given to me by one of my guards, Sire."  
Ethelburh answered truthfully.  
Rianna smiles in disbelief, then nods and sighs, "You killed him?"  
"No, thanks to the kindness of my sister, he is still locked up."  
Ecgfrith speaks the word "benevolence" in a somewhat sinister way.  
Ethelburh gave him a look.  
'What's the matter, Your Majesty?  
Ethelburh asked.  
Rianna smiled. "Princess, I suggest you ask him himself...  
Give him my love."  
Ecgfrith was still more surprised. "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"  
"I will explain everything to you, but as for the Princess, I wish she could hear the owner of the little key herself."  
Rianna said humbly.  
Ethelburh got up before sitting in the hot chair and trotted to the cell door.  
At the door, she pauses -- the situation is different, now that Hamer is being held and Ethelburh is going to see him.  
But how much did Hamer have to go through to find himself?  
Ethelburh went into the cell.  
The cells at Tamworth were much larger than those at the Powys border post, and there were also separate cells.  
Hamer was locked up in one of those rooms.  
When he heard Ethelburh's voice, Hamer raised his eyes in disbelief.  
Ethelburh knelt down in front of Hamer, who took one look at her, lowered his head, and clattered the chains on his hands.  
'I didn't expect you to be here, Highness.  
In fact, I don't want you to come to a place like this."  
Hamer mumbled.  
Ethelburh didn't say much, but she handed the little key to Hamer and asked, "Hamer, what the hell is this?"  
Hamer's eyes moved. He dodged the little key and whispered, "The Gwent tradition is a talisman, yes, but it's also a token.  
I want to give you this before I die.  
Are there any other Gwent in the collar, your Highness?"  
"The Queen of Gwent has come to make peace. She has asked me to send her regards to you and to ask you an explanation."  
Ethelburh put down the little key. Hamer seemed shaken, and though his wrist was chained, he raised his hand to support his forehead. For a moment he hesitantly lowered it, looked at the ground beside Ethelburh, and struggled to answer. "Your Highness...  
Please tell Queen Rianna...  
Her...  
Her brother...  
Very good...  
He's alive..."  
With that, his hands dropped and Hamer leaned against the wall behind him, his eyes fixed on the roof, his eyes full of remorse.  
"Brother?  
Ethelburh was shocked again by Hamer's words.  
She thought about the past -- that's why Hamer was so polite, didn't make a good fire, better at swordsmanship than the average guard...  
She looks at Hamer and asks, "Why didn't you say you were the Prince of Gwent?  
Or the crown prince?  
Your chances of survival increase dramatically."  
"I said, Highness, I was deeply to blame...  
I am a traitor to two countries, I do not want to beg for your mercy in such a way, I would rather expiate with my life.  
I knew that Gwent would come to make peace, but King Offa has been so slow in announcing my death that it has been so long."  
"Hamer, I told you, I don't want you dead.  
Make atonement for yourself, and live to make atonement for yourself."  
Ethelburh tapped the ground in front of him.  
She meant it, no matter what Hamer's important identity.  
She thought about it carefully and then asked, "Then why would you want the Prince to go undercover himself?"  
Hamer sighed. "You are right, Highness. I am the Crown Prince of Gwent and my sister Rianna is married to King Sedal of Powys, and their children will inherit Powys.  
Sedal had asked me to go undercover to hone my abilities, and I had agreed to go to Hereford because I wanted to win by cunning rather than bloody warfare.  
And in...  
In the act of taking you away, I discovered that the Union had also killed me, and it dawned on me that Sedal was paving the way for his future heir, wishing to get rid of me so that his children could succeed to the thrones of both countries."  
Ethelburh got it.  
She stared at the corner and quickly mentally traced the whole story.  
Hamer still avoided Ethelburh's eyes. "Your Highness, I swear by my love for you, this will be the last thing I will ever hide from you..."  
"I believe you, Hamer.  
I must go now, and see what I can do to keep you alive."  
Ethelburh said, standing up.  
Only then did Hamer dare to look up at Ethelburh's back.

Ethelburh quickly returns to the Offa Hall, only to find that Rianna has left, Cynethryth and Ecgfrith are sitting, and Offa is hovering, roaring so loudly that Ethelburh can't hear what he's saying.  
'Father?  
"Cried Ethelburh, catching the gap.  
Offa, seeing Ethelburh, became even angrier and shouted, "Ethel!  
Do you know what outrageous suggestion that Rianna made?  
She proposed a marriage!  
For God's sake!  
Marriage!  
Look what those Welshmen have done to you!  
My good daughter once white and beautiful little face, now one side like climbing a maggot, while writing 'Prisoner'!  
Hamer?  
Even if he is the prince, the crown prince, so what?  
He's a traitor!  
How can such a person accomplish anything?"  
'Father!  
Ecgfrith raises the voice a little bit.  
Offa calmed down a little. He stood where he was, took a few more steps, and said to Ethelburh, "Anyway, daughter, I have written to Charlemagne. I hope you will marry his son Charles, and he will agree.  
He is his lawful eldest son, and it will always be better for you to go to Frank than here. '  
Ethelburh was tongue-tied. All of his original plans were shattered.  
She looked at Ecgfrith, who looked grave and did not know what he was thinking, while Cynethryth was calm -- of course, she liked Frank and hoped her daughter would marry there.  
"But, Father..."  
As Ethelburh begins to speak, Offa stops her. "Well, I know he saved you, and you don't want to kill him.  
Then I'll banish him and leave him to his own fate!  
Tell that Rianna!  
That's it!  
This is my kindness already!  
I conquered East Anglia, the King of East Anglia, and I took his hands from him?  
It is God's mercy that Hamer Ellisec should leave Tamworth naked..."  
Ethelburh couldn't listen any more.  
She left the Offa Hall and went back to her room.  
Supposedly, Hamer would have survived, but exile?  
Ethelburh knew that the place of exile was usually far away, on a northern island, or even in some wild place, and that it was no different than a sentence of death.  
She doesn't want Hamer dead, and she doesn't want him sent into exile.  
She began to think that a marriage would be a good idea.


	8. Chapter 8

Offa couldn't help but notice the change in Ethelburh.  
When she first returned to Tamworth, she had not been too depressed by all her suffering, and even her disfigurement had not stopped the lively child from being cheerful. But the way Ethelburh left Offa Hall that day, after he had announced Hamer's fate, struck him as a shock.  
Instead of telling Rianna about his decision, he asked her to stay in Litchfield for a while while he made his final decision.  
Ethelburh no longer goes out laughing, playing the piano and picking flowers. The maid says she just stays inside and embroideres.  
It was a traditional virtue, but Offa knew that Ethelburh had never liked it. It was just that she didn't want to go out and kill time.  
Gwent was badly beaten, Powys was alive and well.  
Offa could have put forward various conditions to suppress Gwent, let they no longer, and Rianna marriage proposal was a bit more patient, she offered to let them form a son in law by adoption of marriage, marriage by guarantee Gwent civilians not suffer heavy burden of lost the war, also protect the Hamer the only brother, but Ellisec family JueSi from now on.  
Offa sighed as he thought about it - it was a very difficult decision for Queen Rianna to make.  
Had he chosen to stick to his original decision, the people of Gwent would have been decimated, Hamer exiled and Ethelburh heartbroken.  
If he chose to accept the marriage, then the soldiers and civilians of both countries would be happy, Gwent would remain neutral between Powys and Mercia due to the existence of the two marriages, Hamer would become a member of the Iclingas family, and Ethelburh would be happy.  
Even Offa, with his ambition and his reputation for brutality, can see which of the two suits him better.  
Hamer, Hamer, are you really good for my daughter?  
Offa paces under the night sky in Tamworth.  
The night was still, and only a few soldiers on patrol passed by.  
He a person in front of the sky of stars, heavy steps on his heart.  
He sat down on a plank and smoothed his hair back. Suddenly he heard a voice: "Father?"  
Offa looked back -- it was Ethelburh.  
He smiled lovingly and patted the side. "Come on, daughter."  
Ethelburh sat down next to Offa.  
Offa put her arm around Ethelburh and said to herself, "My star..."  
Then, slowly returned to the melancholy.  
Ethelburh also did not speak.  
For a moment Offa sighed heavily, then spoke slowly. "Ethel, I know what you're thinking...  
Father is thinking, too."  
He looked at Ethelburh and stroked the scar on her face. "Every time I see this, I want to take out my sword and dismember the person who hurt you...  
Who had the nerve to hurt my beautiful daughter?  
But, fate is so unpredictable, my little girl also grew up, she has her own feelings and will.  
Well, I was thinking, Hamer, he worked for you, he loved you, he gave you to the enemy, he betrayed you, he betrayed Mercia;  
And he chose to find you, to get you out, to betray his sister, to betray Gwent -- how can a man like that achieve anything?  
How can I be good enough for you?  
Is it not to be envied that your two sisters have married two respectable and famous Kings?  
...  
But the one thing that reassures me about Ethel Hamer is that he is willing to hide his nobility and choose to die in order to atone for you.  
Now I know he'll be a loving husband, if not a decent Lord.  
That might be enough...  
Yes, Frankie. Here comes Charlemagne's reply. He has no intention of letting Charles marry you.  
So I think I'll just have to settle, Hamer, for the day you become Queen of Gwent, and the day your children, the children of Iclingas, become rulers of Gwent."  
Offa patted Ethelburh on the head and looked up at the stars. Then he turned to Ethelburh and smiled: "My boy, you are more beautiful than any of them.  
If in the future he bullies you or does anything that annoys you, you can come to me and I'll make him pay you back double, OK?"  
Under the night sky, Ethelburh threw herself into Offa's arms and began to cry.  
Offa took her in her arms, patted her on the back, and coaxed her slowly: "There, there, my Ethel...  
If you're happy, that's the best..."  
Inside, the jailer opens Hamer's chains. Ethelburh smiles and looks at him. Hamer is confused, but he still doesn't look Ethelburh in the eye.  
"Have you heard anything these days?  
Jailer's gossip or something?"  
Ethelburh asked.  
'No, Highness.  
Is there anything wrong?"  
Hamer asked, looking down.  
"Hamer, you look up at me."  
Ethelburh said.  
Hamer didn't immediately comply.  
His eyes fluttered a few times before he slowly looked Ethelburh in the eye.  
Ethelburh gently tells Hamer: "Your sister, Rianna, has proposed a marriage and is asking you to become an Iclingas."  
Ethelburh expected Hamer to be pleased, but Hamer was tongue-tied for a moment, then frowned, almost exclaiming, "How could she say that?"  
"You......  
You're not happy?  
Is it because I want you to take it?"  
"In the name of heaven and earth, not for that, your Highness.  
Because, alas...  
How can such an infamous person as I be good enough for you?"  
"It doesn't matter, at least I believe it does.  
Hamer, I want you to help me, support me, protect me, and not put yourself down like this...  
It's up to me to decide who you are, and it's up to you to decide."  
Hamer's blue eyes sparkled even as he looked at Ethelburh and then answered, "Your Highness, your soul is strong enough to need no protection.  
But I am willing to give all of myself for you in other places...  
Even life."  
'Don't say that!  
Ethelburh chuckled.  
She stood up and held out her hand to Hamer. "Come with me out of here, Hamer!"

Anglo - Saxon weddings followed the old ways even after they were converted to Christ.  
Swords and rings were exchanged, and then hands were tied in a simple and primitive ceremony presided over by a bishop.  
As Hamer led Ethelburh and the bishop tied the ceremonial ribbon for them, his hands clenched and his face seemed grave and heavy.  
Ethelburh saw this and called softly to him:  
"Hamer?"  
Hamer looked over at her. Ethelburh smiled, but the scars on her face were still glaring.  
It's all because of myself...  
Hamer's Adam's apple moved.  
His Highness, his Highness, his only Highness...

Hereford had been fought and recaptured, and life for the civilians was hard.  
For more than two years Offa had held Hereford in his own hands, and it was always a small house of officers and soldiers.  
So when the civilians saw Ethelburh's familiar figure, they were pleasantly surprised and crowded around the car.  
Ethelburh stepped out of his car and greeted the civilians one by one.  
She saw the little girl who had given her flowers on May Day, years before. She had grown much taller.  
Hamer was on the horse and nobody noticed him.  
He still wore his trousers and dark robes, his shawl, and his sword. He still looked like a guard.  
But he didn't want to think of himself as a prince, and he wasn't really a prince here, just Ethelburh's humble husband.  
The convoy managed to break away from the enthusiastic civilians and reach the front of the compound, which the civilians stopped following.  
Ethelburh stretched and, as he had done when he first arrived in Hereford, immediately took off his long turban and replaced it with a shorter one.  
She walked around the yard a few times, looking into the familiar yard, and was about to say a few words to Hamer when she heard him grunt in pain as he dismounted behind her.  
Ethelburh was taken aback, and when she looked back, she saw Hamer bent over, his nose bleeding.  
And standing next to him was Pike, whom Ethelburh was worried about for a long time!  
However, he did not seem to welcome Hamer, who was now breathing heavily and casually rubbing blood from his fists onto his clothes.  
"Pike!"  
Ethelburh shouted.  
She had not expected Pike to survive and was pleasantly surprised.  
Pike turned his head to see Ethelburh smiling at him, but his face wrinkled, a few tears trickled down, and he chorted, "You've suffered, Highness!"  
"You did live!"  
Ethelburh greeteth Pike and checks on Hamer, who dodges Ethelburh with a wave of his hand and gropes into the room.  
'I wasn't the only one who was alive. There were several other brothers, too, who were in Hereford.  
When we heard everything afterwards, they were desperate to beat down Hereford and get you.  
I tried to hand over his highness to Hamer, and...  
Hum!"  
"But do you know who Hamer is now?"  
Ethelburh is not blaming Pike, just checking.  
Pike mumbles, "Yes."  
He plucked at his big red beard and said, a little sheepishly, "But let it be, your Highness, that I have only just found out.  
I don't regret hitting him."  
"I shall be even with you if you do."  
Ethelburh joked, "But, well, let it go."  
Pike smiled a little.  
Ethelburh told him to go home and rest, then went upstairs to find Hamer.  
A maid was holding a birdbath nearby, and Hamer himself was wringing a handkerchief and staring up at the roof. The blood was still bleeding.  
Ethelburh grabbed the towel and sat Hamer on the edge of the bed, cleaning up the blood and talking to Hamer, "You...  
Aren't you glad Pike's alive?  
Why did you run away?"  
Hamer pursed his lips and did not answer.  
Ethelburh rinsed the towel in cold water, wrung it out, and put it on Hamer's face.  
It was a long time before Hamer spoke, his voice a little hoarse. "There will be more of this, your Highness."  
Ethelburh laughed.  
She told the maid to put the basin down to rest, and then asked, "What did you call me?"  
"Your Highness."  
Hamer said seriously.  
The bleeding stopped. Ethelburh removed the towel. Hamer moved his neck and lowered his head.  
Ethelburh, sitting next to him, said just as sincerely, "Hamer, call me Ethel, will you?"  
Hamer looks at Ethelburh -- her brown eyes are looking expectantly at her, her soft skin is pink, and only the scars are strangely colored and shaped.  
He swooped forward, gently kissed Ethelburh on the forehead, and then pressed his forehead against hers.  
Ethelburh laughs, her chestnut hair touching Hamer's black. Hamer sighs and whispers, "Ethel, Ethel..."  
How long can we keep this warm?  
An ominous thought flashed through Hamer's mind.  
He straightened up and shook his head violently.  
Then he went to the window, looked out at the ruins and the prosperity, and said, 'I mean it, Highness.  
There will be more of that in the future."  
"About Pike hitting you?"  
Ethelburh tried not to laugh.  
Hamer sighed to himself -- Ethelburh knew that.  
But he explained: "Because of my status, for the temple...  
To discredit you, Ethel."  
Ethelburh stood up, walked over to him and looked at him with a smile. "Hamer, no.  
Believe me.  
If you don't believe in me, then believe in God.  
If you are sincere, God will work miracles on you."  
Hamer could only nod.  
Can God really work miracles on himself?


End file.
